Research Study on Painful Walking
"My legs are killing me!"

You may think this is only an expression, but if you have leg pain that feels like an ache, burning, cramping or tiredness, you may be experiencing claudication, one of the primary symptoms of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). And PAD increases your risk of heart attack, stroke and death.

Current treatments for PAD and claudication include surgery, angioplasty and exercise. Only two medications are currently available to improve claudication, and these do not always provide pain-free walking.

Three recent studies have shown that cholesterol-modifying medications may diminish claudication symptoms. However, there is still too little information available to prove that this is a reliable and safe new treatment. A national research study is now underway to determine if using this type of medicine can safely and effectively treat claudication.

For all research studies, there should be discussion between the patient and physician about the benefits and risks of participation. For this study, only people 40 years or older with claudication symptoms from PAD for at least 6 months may qualify to participate. Participation involves study-related medical screening and provides study medication and study-related exams at no cost. The national contact number for this study is 1-866-LEG-HURT or visit the study web site at www.leghurt.com.